A Media Relations Workshop will be held March 19 from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Owens Banquet Room.

This workshop is open to all faculty members. The workshop, to be organized by Dave Nutter, is one of the Faculty Senate's initiatives to improve public perceptions of faculty members in Virginia. Further information will be available soon.

On-line silent witness reporting available

The Virginia Tech Police Department now has an on-line silent-witness reporting option on our Internet homepage. This form allows anyone to report a crime anonymously or simply to give information about a crime or alleged crime he or she has general knowledge or suspicion about.

All information is kept in the strictest confidence and is only accessible to authorized Police Personnel. This form can be accessed on the Internet(Netscape) from the Police Department home page by clicking on the "Report a Crime" button. The homepage address is:http://www.police.vt.edu/police.

Museum plans series of plant programs

The Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History will present a series of three programs on the diversity of plants at 10 a.m. on March 15 and 19 and April 19 at the museum, 428 N. Main St. "Plant Play" is designed for fourth-and fifth-graders.

The programs will give participants a chance to learn about arid, tropical, and specialty-use plant groups. Participants also will work with succulents and tropical plants to create a personal dish garden and terrarium. A bonsai and topiary demonstration will be included.

Virginia Tech horticulture major Paul Haden will present the programs, which are free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required by the Thursday before each program by calling 1-3001. Enrollment is limited to 12 children.

Thrift Shop announces half-price clothing sale

The YMCA Thrift Shop will hold a half-price sale on dated clothing on March 5 at the shop, 1336 S. Main St.

For more information, call 552-2633 or fax 552-4117.

Hokie Celebration scheduled for Sunday

All Virginia Tech alumni and fans are invited to the Twelfth Annual Hokie Celebration Sunday, March 2, beginning at noon in the Bowman Stadium Club at Cassell Coliseum.

The event is jointly hosted by the Blacksburg Hokie Club and the New River Valley Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. It is being held in conjunction with the 2 p.m. home basketball game against Atlantic 10 rival Xavier. Festivities continue at half-time and following the game.

Special guests at the celebration will include members of the university administration and athletic officials. There also will be representatives from other sports.

Admission to the Hokie Celebration is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under. Hors d-oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. This ticket does not include admission to the game. Game tickets are available for $10 and can be purchased by calling the Virginia Tech Athletic Ticket Office at1-800-VA-TECH4.

All proceeds from the event are used to fund academic and athletic scholarships. Last year's event netted more than $8,000 in scholarship funds.

Educational technology videoconference planned

The CEUT and Media Services are sponsoring "Videoconference: Educational Technology '97: Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, With Anyone, "Thursday, Feb. 27, from 2:30-4 p.m. in the DBHCC auditorium. The videoconference will demonstrate how to make courses more interactive using the latest multimedia techniques.

Diana Oblinger, author and lecturer, and Michael O'Kane, coordinator of instructional computing at North Carolina State University, will discuss the challenges of distributed learning environments, including monitoring, encouraging participation, and information overload.

Participants will learn how distributed learning environments can eliminate time and place restrictions on learning, transform on-campus and distance courses, and support a learner-centered model of instruction.

No registration is necessary.

Instructional enhancement grants deadline announced

March 7 is the deadline for submitting proposals for CEUT Instructional Enhancement Grants. All proposals must be submitted to the CEUT office by 5p.m.

The CEUT is presenting a videoconference on the use on the Internet is science and math classes. "Videoconference: High-Tech Teaching on a Low-Tech Budget: Working Applications on the Use of the Internet to Teach Biology, Math and Physics" will be held March 11 from 4-5 p.m.

Malcolm Campbell will present a segment on biology; J. Jerry Uhl will discuss mathematics; and Edwin Taylor will discuss physics.

Participants will learn how to search the World Wide Web and access scientific journals; explore interactive instructional programs; use the data produced by the Human Genome Project; maximize class time by taking advantage of free movies, animation, and three-dimensional images; and strengthen course offerings by distributing supplemental readings.

This videoconference may be viewed in any classroom or conference room on campus has a television capable of receiving the satellite feed. Call CEUT(1-9109) for the channel information. No registration is necessary.

The videoconference is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the National Technological University.

Pairing students topic of workshop

The Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching will present "A Pair is a Group," a workshop about pairing students for instructional activities, Wednesday, March 12, from 3-5 p.m. in the Hillcrest dining room.

The goal of providing instruction that involves learners can be met if one considers the fact that a pair is a group. Margaret Hable will present simple strategies and teaching structures for interjecting paired learning and processing into the lesson. Hable says that faculty members interested in promoting active learning may find that starting with pairs is the answer--or, at least, the beginning.

To register, contact CEUT (1-9109, ceut@vt.edu) by March 10.

Women's Center awards nominations sought

This spring, the Women's Center at Virginia Tech will make two awards in recognition of leadership in supporting our mission: the Women's Center Woman of the Year Award and the Women's Center Student Activist Award.

A nominee for the Women's Center Woman of the Year Award must be a woman from the staff or faculty of Virginia Tech, or a member of the surrounding community; demonstrate leadership as an activist for women's concerns; and contribute to the Women's Center mission and to the continued development of Virginia Tech's women's communities.

A nominee for the Women's Center Student Activist Award must be a graduate or undergraduate student at Virginia Tech; demonstrate leadership as an activist for women's concerns and contribute to the Women's Center mission and to the continued development of Virginia Tech's women's communities.

The award recipients will be determined by a committee with representatives from the Women's Center, Virginia Tech staff, administration, and students, and the Blacksburg community.

Nominations should be submitted to Penny Burge (Women's Center at Virginia Tech, Price House, Blacksburg, VA 24601-0270) by March 12. Nominations should include a one-page letter explaining how the nominee exemplifies the criteria for the award and any appropriate additional support materials. Self-nominations are accepted.